Youth Highlight

Ryan found Connected Lane County during a rough time in his life. He was unhoused, couch surfing, and facing various barriers to education and employment. Hosea Youth Services shared Connected Lane County as a resource, and Ryan was able to receive support through our Direct Cash Transfers as Prevention Pilot before joining our other programs. Navigate provided Ryan with access to new resources and activities like Wonder Week, a week-long job and career readiness experience.

Kira, a Cottage Grove High School graduate, found Connected Lane County during her senior year and has been involved in both Navigate and Elevate programming! Kira has participated in various events, including Wonder Wednesday, Job Fairs, Elevate Job Shadows, Wonder Week, and work experiences. “I've always had great fun at these events. I got to meet new people and learn about things I haven't known before that may help in the future,” said Kira. According to Kira’s Resourc

Meet Danica (she/they), our July youth highlight! Danica is a recent high school graduate actively participating in Summer Internships, Industry Tours, and DevNW Financial Classes! She learned about Connected Lane County through their career coordinator at Pleasant Hill High School, Kathy Duval, and participated in the 2023 Summer Internships before signing up for additional programming! Danica has enjoyed her various experiences with Connected Lane County; read her short int

Julio is a rising senior at Springfield High School who has been involved with Connected Lane County for over two years. He started with Invention Club, an after-school program, in the spring of 2022, and that experience led him to participate in the summer cohort of Invention Lab. After completion of Invention Lab, Julio was invited to join the Agency, an after-school paid work program where youth complete small manufacturing projects for local businesses. Justin, our Assoc

Meet Leo, our April Youth Highlight! Leo (they/them) has been a Connected Lane County participant since the summer of 2023 when they were a Summer Intern! Leo was placed at Volunteers in Medicine and learned more about what a career in health care would look like. This internship gave them insight into the mental health field and allowed them to rule it out as a future career choice. Understanding that this path would require dealing with others' hardships helped Leo know t

Mars’ pronouns: Any Meet our STEM Superstar, Mars! While enrolled in the Migrant Education Oregon program at Hamlin Middle School, Mars learned about Connected Lane County’s BIPOC STEM program, Invention Club. Mars participated in 2021, and using limited materials, her team created a catapult to launch an item into a target. Mars’ group won first place that year at MESA Day! After Invention Club, Mars learned about Invention Lab and was excited to have something to do to earn

Elliott has been an engaged member of the Connected Lane County community since August 2023. Elliott appreciates the inclusive and welcoming environment at Spark locations, where they can unwind, access support, and engage in various activities. To learn more about Elliott’s story, read their interview below! How did you find Connected Lane County, and what made you stay for additional experiences? “My case manager at LCBH recommende

Meet Daniel, our monthly youth highlight! Daniel came to Connected Lane County through his school’s Career Center. He struggled to find employment and wanted to expand his skills. Our team placed Daniel in a paid summer internship with Bitforest based on his interests. Following his summer internship, he participated in codeORcreate, where his team won the Tech Stewardship Award! Daniel is now a University of Oregon freshman interested in a future career in Artificial Intelli

Introduction to Spark Minh and Thu bring so much creative energy to Spark programming. The twin sisters joined the after-school Invention Club at Spark on 7th in the fall of 2021, learning various machines and workflows and expanding their STEM skills. STEM Involvement At MESA Day, the end-of-year statewide STEM competition held at Portland State University, Minh and Thu’s catapult design took second place in the main design challenge. They then participated in Invention Lab’

Navigate Support Carmen entered the Navigate program at 17 years old, unemployed, and dropped out of school. The combination of a difficult home life and a severe car accident that totaled her only source of transportation left her struggling with mental health issues and unable to re-engage with education. With support from the program, she enrolled in a GED program and completed her GED last year. She also began receiving support for her mental health, which helped her bet

Noel’s Journey to Connected Lane County In his sophomore year at Siuslaw High School (2020), his enthusiastic computer science teacher, Mr. Mielke, approached Noel and recruited him to participate in our then-virtual youth hackathon called codeORcreate. The world was navigating the first year of COVID-19, and all extracurriculars had paused indefinitely. Noel, a computer science fanatic, had lots of time on his hands with few creative outlets, so he agreed to participate. No

Parker's Journey at Spark on 7th Meet Parker, a talented young entrepreneur! His journey from high school to the inception of his clothing line, Honyx LLC, is nothing short of inspiring. Parker's introduction to the world of manufacturing technology came during his senior year at Willamette High School. It was then that he discovered the exciting realms of digital design, 3D printing, and vinyl cutting. Once he dipped his toes into these creative waters, there was no turning

Maia's Inspiring Journey with the Navigate Program At the heart of the Navigate program lies the belief that with the right support and guidance, every young individual can overcome adversity and reach their fullest potential. Maia's story is a testament to this philosophy, showcasing the transformative power of the Navigate program in shaping young lives. At just 17, Maia faced daunting challenges. But with determination and the help of her Resource Navigator, Olivia Goodhea

Bella's Journey From New Mexico to the Art Institute of Chicago We are thrilled to present the inspiring story of Bella, a talented young artist who joined our community after moving from New Mexico to Eugene during her freshman year of high school. Bella's transition to a new city was initially challenging. Yet she soon found her place at Willamette High School where she immersed herself in a wide variety of creative and nontraditional classes. It was through a youth culinar